Provided are a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor including dielectric particles in a packed-bed in a discharge zone, e.g., a DBD plasma reactor for non-oxidative coupling of methane in which an average gap distance between dielectric particles in the packed-bed is adjusted to improve methane conversion and/or product selectivity; a method of regenerating dielectric particles including removing coke, which sis produced by side reactions, from the dielectric particles deactivated by the coke by using a low temperature plasma in an oxidizing atmosphere in the reactor; a method of manufacturing C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons, the method including converting methane into C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons including ethylene and/or ethane by non-oxidative coupling of methane in the reactor; and a method of manufacturing hydrogen, the method including generating hydrogen from methane by non-oxidative coupling of methane in the reactor.

The invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of this gas processing system.

A system for obtaining power by the use of low-quality hydrocarbons and hydrogen produced from the water in the generation of combustion energy having: a combustion chamber; a nozzle support module located at the proximal extremity of the combustion chamber; at least one principal nozzle (S) and at least one start-up burner nozzle (P), a number of spark igniter electrodes (H) located in the nozzle support module; at least three hermetic chambers connected in series covering the length of a flame, where a vaporisation chamber, a gasification chamber and at least one thermal cracking chamber surround the combustion chamber; a flame outlet, located at the distal extremity of the combustion chamber.

Proposed is a process for producing methanol from synthesis gas by means of multi-stage, for example two-stage, heterogeneously catalyzed methanol synthesis, wherein the methanol product formed in every synthesis stage is separated by condensation and the remaining residual gas is supplied to the downstream synthesis stage or after separation of a purge stream recycled to the first synthesis stage as a recycle stream. According to the invention after each synthesis stage the residual gas streams have separated from them a respective purge stream, from which, using one or more hydrogen recovery apparatuses, hydrogen is separated and recycled to the first synthesis stage. The ratio of the individual purge streams and their total molar flow may optionally be varied to allow better control of the reaction in the individual synthesis stages and to allow reaction to the advancing deactivation of the catalysts present therein.

Proposed is a process for producing methanol from synthesis gas by means of multi-stage, for example two-stage, heterogeneously catalyzed methanol synthesis, wherein the methanol product formed in every synthesis stage is separated by condensation and the remaining residual gas is supplied to the downstream synthesis stage or after separation of a purge stream recycled to the first synthesis stage as a recycle stream. According to the invention after each synthesis stage the residual gas streams have separated from them a respective purge stream, from which, using one or more hydrogen recovery apparatuses, hydrogen is separated and recycled to the first synthesis stage. The ratio of the individual purge streams and their total molar flow may optionally be varied to allow better control of the reaction in the individual synthesis stages and to allow reaction to the advancing deactivation of the catalysts present therein.

A method is provided for inputting thermal energy into fluidic medium in a process or processes related to oil refining and/or petrochemical industries by at least one rotary apparatus comprising a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit, a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and a stator configured as an assembly of stationary vanes arranged at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades. In the method, an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through stationary and rotating components of said rotary apparatus, respectively. The method further comprises: integration of said at least one rotary apparatus into a heat-consuming process facility configured as a refining and/or petrochemical facility and further configured to carry out heat-consuming process or processes related to refining of oil and/or producing petrochemicals at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), and conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the heat-consuming process facility, the input energy comprises electrical energy. A rotary apparatus and related uses are further provided.

According to this disclosure, there is provided a pyrolysis reaction system and a direct non-oxidative methane coupling process using the same by which it is possible to reach the selectivity for good C.sub.≤10 hydrocarbons and at the same time to inhibit coke from being generated while a good methane conversion is maintained during direct conversion of methane into C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons through non-oxidative pyrolysis.

According to this disclosure, there is provided a pyrolysis reaction system and a direct non-oxidative methane coupling process using the same by which it is possible to reach the selectivity for good C.sub.≤10 hydrocarbons and at the same time to inhibit coke from being generated while a good methane conversion is maintained during direct conversion of methane into C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons through non-oxidative pyrolysis.

The present invention provides a method of preparing acetylene (C.sub.2H.sub.2), the method at least comprising the steps of: a) providing a methane-containing stream; b) subjecting the methane-containing stream provided in step a) to non-catalytic pyrolysis, thereby obtaining carbon and hydrogen; c) reacting the carbon obtained in step b) with CaO, thereby obtaining CaC.sub.2 and CO; d) reacting the CaC.sub.2 obtained in step c) with H.sub.2O, thereby obtaining acetylene (C.sub.2H.sub.2) and Ca(OH).sub.2; e) decomposing the Ca(OH).sub.2 obtained in step d), thereby obtaining CaO and H.sub.2O; f) using the CaO as obtained in step e) in the reaction of step c).

Disclosed apparatuses, systems, and materials relate to the disassociation of feedstock species (such as those in gaseous form) into constituent components, and may include an energy generator configured to provide a microwave energy. A first chamber defines a first volume and is configured to guide the microwave energy along the first chamber as a sinusoidal wave having an energy maxima at a point along the first chamber. A second chamber contains a plasma plume and is positioned substantially proximal to the first chamber, and is configured to enable propagation of the microwave energy through the first chamber and the second chamber such that the microwave energy demonstrates, at a radial center of the second chamber, a coaxial energy maxima configured to ignite the plasma plume contained in the second chamber. Carbon-containing materials may be formed by controlling flow parameters of the feedstock species into the first or second chamber.